Maoist blow up school building in Palamau

Ranchi: Maoists blew up a school building in Palamau, half an hour before their 24-hour
shutdown began in three states, police said here on Sunday.

A group of armed Maoists stuffed explosives in the school building around 11.30 pm last night and triggered the blast at Kanda village in Palamau district.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up following the shutdown called by the CPI(Maoist) in Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhatisgarh to protest the arrest of one of their top
leader, Rajesh alias Uday, in Ranchi two days ago.

Rajesh carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head and was wanted in Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh in connection with Naxal violence.

This is the seventh shutdown called by the Maoists this year and the first time that the ultras have called a 24-hour bandh this year, as against their earlier 48-hour or
72-hour bandhs.